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Mind-bending venue for Open

No one likely to come close to the 63 Johnny Miller shot at Oakmont in '73

June 10, 2007|By Ed Sherman

No matter what happens this week at Oakmont, nobody, not even Tiger Woods, is likely to top what Johnny Miller did on the course in 1973.

Quite simply, his closing 63 was the greatest round of all time.

Miller always is a presence at any U.S. Open because of his candid commentary for NBC. But when the tournament begins Thursday at the famed course outside of Pittsburgh, he will be a living, breathing, say-anything reminder of the history he made there 34 years ago.

On June 17, 1973, Miller, then 26, opened his final round with four straight birdies and didn't stop running. In fact, he might have had a 61 if not for two lip-outs on birdie putts on the last two holes.

As it was, Miller's 63 was good enough to win by a stroke over John Schlee.

Typically, Miller doesn't hold back in any of his analysis. But when asked if he thought his round at Oakmont was the greatest ever, he let somebody else do the talking for him.

"It was voted in the Centennial Celebration of Golf as the greatest round ever played, and that's validation enough for me," Miller said. "To me, it is the gold standard on a final-round performance. It's one thing to shoot 63, but to do it in the final round of an Open to win by a stroke is what makes it special for me."

To hear the talk, if anyone shoots a 73 in the final round this year at a record eighth Open at Oakmont, he will be playing some good golf. Geoff Ogilvy won last year's U.S. Open with a winning score of 5 over at Winged Foot.

After playing a practice round last week, Ian Poulter said he would take 5 over right now. If the rain stays away, the carnage at Oakmont could be ugly.

"That golf course is going to be one of the toughest we've ever had for a U.S. Open," Woods said. "If it's dry, it'll be unreal because those greens are so severe. Obviously, the speed and rough, it'll be everything you want."

Club officials decided to restore Oakmont's original links-style design by removing an estimated 6,000 trees. They also pushed back the tee on the par-3 eighth hole to 288 yards, the longest par 3 in Open history. Phil Mickelson, one of the longest hitters out there, used a 4-wood on the hole during a practice round.

"It's a par 3 1/2 ," he said.

Oakmont has 210 bunkers, including the famed "Church Pews" on the left-hand side of holes three and four. Avoiding the fairway bunkers is a must.

"When you get in one of them, you are not going to get to the green," said Mike Davis, the United States Golf Association's senior director for rules and competitions.

Still, the essence of Oakmont always has been the greens. Mickelson, who has won two Masters, says Oakmont's greens are tougher than Augusta National's.

"They are the hardest set of 18 greens in the world," Miller said. "Augusta is nothing like Oakmont. . . . A 12-footer is a three-putt waiting to happen. You have to use your mind. That's what separates the great players from the rest of the players."

The roster of winners at Oakmont speaks to the course's quality: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tommy Armour, Ernie Els, among others. But nobody finished with a greater bang than Miller.

Actually, Miller's hopes almost were derailed in the third round when he shot a 76. Back then, he played with a local caddie and there was no such thing as lasered yardages. The players had to rely heavily on their yardage books.

"I went to the bag to get my book, and it wasn't there," Miller said. "'Oh, my gosh, Oakmont's greens without yardages.' I went over the top emotionally. I was 5 over after seven. I could have shot 80-something."

Miller's wife, Linda, eventually got him the book on the ninth hole, and he held it together to remain in the hunt. Then he discovered the key to his victory just moments before teeing off on that fateful Sunday.

"A little voice said, 'Open your stance way up,' " Miller said. "I went to the first tee thinking, 'Should I try it? What the heck, I have nothing to lose.' "

Miller promptly went out and made golf history. Few viewers actually saw much of Miller's round. In the days before complete 18-hole coverage, ABC only showed him as he finished. But Miller's feat quickly became the stuff of legend.

"It was always thought of as the hardest course in America, and if you shoot the lowest round in U.S. Open history, that would be the last place to do it, especially in the last round," Miller said. "The bottom line is that it was the perfect round of golf."